By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
It was College Application Day at Rim of the World High School and everyone celebrated. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Rim of the World High School honored its seniors who have applied to four-year colleges and universities by having them parade around the school, led by the Fighting Scots marching band.
This was such an honor for the students to have an opportunity for their peers to recognize them, and was followed by a free lunch, delivered from Jersey Mike’s. The students had been able to order their favorite combination of meat, cheese and veggie items on their sandwich, in advance from a limited menu.
Beth Hallmark, Rim High School’s counseling, college and career specialist, has organized this event for the past several years to recognize the extreme effort it takes to spend four years in high school focused on the big goal of a college education. “These students have done the work necessary every day to achieve this goal of being qualified to apply to and hopefully getting accepted into the school of their dreams,” Hallmark said.
The 48 seniors were allowed to miss a half-hour of fourth period, when they met in the lobby of the new gym, where the band joined them. Each of these college-bound seniors was given a plastic clapper to make as much noise as possible, to celebrate while they walked the hallways.
With the band leading them, the seniors walked two-by-two through the halls of the school, from the new gym to the 100, 200 and 300 wings, past all the administrative offices, finishing in the cafeteria at the beginning of lunch where they were presented with the Jersey Mike’s sandwich of their choice.
Since the teachers were aware of this parade through the school, many allowed their classroom of students to line the hallways and cheer for their fellow students in their march of success. This event was also designed to encourage the underclassmen to continue to work hard and to reach for and achiev their dreams, with the possibility of experiencing a similar exciting hallway march and honor when they become seniors.
The band led the seniors, wielding blue clappers, through Rim High’s halls.
The band began with the school’s song and then played exciting songs as they quickly marched through the hallways playing excellent music announcing the arrival of the seniors. The seniors walked behind them to the encouraging yells and high fives from their classmates who lined the hallways. In the cafeteria, there was a special area roped off with tablecloths for these special seniors, but some of the students took their sandwiches and went with their friends to eat their lunches, excitingly sharing the experience with them.
English literature teacher Mr. Beresford, a Rim High grad himself who has taught at Rim for decades, thinks this honoring of those who have applied to college is worth the short disruption in class. “It is a good thing to congratulate those who have reached this milestone,” he said.
This effort they have expended in high school to get into college will pay off in the long and winding road of their lives, said another.
“These are really good kids who deserve the recognition,” added Hallmark.
“What a wonderful celebration,” said Brian Keaney, Rim’s assistant principal. “Honoring these students and the four years of effort it took to get to this point: to be qualified and able to apply to four-year colleges and to have actually done the work to fill out the applications and send them in. It is a unique challenge and takes extreme commitment to even get this far, so this achievement should be celebrated. I’m glad we did this parade.”
Some of the seniors have applied to more than one college. Each college application takes hours of individual work, plus often a special essay and documentation of their school activities and community activities. Although many of the students are seeking spots at Cal State University schools throughout the state, others are applying to private colleges, both in and out of California.
Keaney added, “I am so proud of their hard work, and this little lunch to celebrate it is the least we can do. I hope it opens many doors to their futures.”
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